Category Archives: In remembrance

Editors’ Note: Rebecca W. Rimel, president and CEO of The Pew Charitable Trusts, remembers H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, the Philadelphia philanthropist who passed away at the age of 88 on August 5th. When my dear friend Gerry Lenfest decided to embark on a second career as a full-time philanthropist, he was asked what challenges he most … Continue reading →

Editors’ Note: HistPhil co-editor Stanley N. Katz remembers his friend, Richard Magat, the long-serving Ford Foundation communications director who passed away on March 13. Richard Magat died on March 13, 2017. That sad news likely did not register for many HistPhil readers. The name Dick Magat probably means little even to those currently engaged in the … Continue reading →

Editors’ Note: Brian Galle weighs in on the misunderstood legacy of heiress Adele Smithers, who passed away last week. HistPhil readers will have noticed the passing last week of Adele Smithers, the heiress and careful monitor of the charitable trust established by her late husband, R. Brinkley. The New York Times obit describes her as having … Continue reading →

Editors’ Note: Susan Berresford, the former president of the Ford Foundation, remembers her friend and Ford colleague Alison Bernstein, who passed away on June 30th. Alison Bernstein came into my life when she was a candidate for a program officer job at the Ford Foundation. It took me only 10 minutes to know we should … Continue reading →

Editors’ Note: On April 30, American philanthropic and nonprofit history lost one of its leading scholars. Peter Dobkin Hall’s work — ambitious, provocative, and meticulously researched — helped define the field, sparking debate and seeding lines of research inquiry, as did his leadership in organizations and institutions such as ARNOVA, Yale’s Program on Nonprofit Organizations, and … Continue reading →

Editors’ Note: On April 30, American philanthropic and nonprofit history lost one of its leading scholars, Peter Dobkin Hall. Today, HistPhil offers reflections on the man and his work from two of Hall’s colleagues. The first tribute is by David C. Hammack, followed by this second one by George E. Marcus. Another moving tribute to Hall, from legal scholar … Continue reading →